WE BROKE GROUND!
USS Phoenix Cold War Monument Breaks Ground in Phoenix
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A long-planned tribute to the USS Phoenix (SSN-702) and the Cold War generation it represents moved from vision to construction on Saturday, August 1, 2026, as city leaders, veterans, community supporters and members of the submarine community gathered at Steele Indian School Park for a ceremonial groundbreaking.
The ceremony marked a milestone for the USS Phoenix (SSN-702) Cold War Monument, a project designed to preserve a tangible piece of naval history while honoring America’s submariners, Cold War veterans, defense industry workers and the shipbuilders whose service often took place out of public view.
Phoenix City Councilmember Laura Pastor joined Parks and Recreation Director Marty Whitfield, retired Navy Capt. Pete Lumianski, former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard, retired Navy Capt. Carol Culbertson, retired Navy Capt. William Rothert, the first Commanding Officer of USS Phoenix and USS Phoenix Cold War Monument Foundation representatives at the morning event. The gathering also drew submarine veterans, including former USS Phoenix crew members and Plank owners, underscoring the personal significance of the project for those connected to the boat and the Navy’s “silent service.”
A Cold War Vessel Comes Home
The USS Phoenix was a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine; one of 62 nuclear-powered boats built during the Cold War era. Launched in 1979 and commissioned in 1981, the submarine served during a period when undersea forces played a critical role in deterrence, intelligence gathering and maritime security. The boat was decommissioned in 1998 after years of active service.
Although much of the work performed by submariners remained classified or unseen, the monument aims to make that history visible. Its centerpiece will include salvaged components of the original USS Phoenix—including major exterior parts that have been stored at the Papago Park Military Reservation until their installation at Steele Indian School Park.
The park location carries special meaning. Situated near the Arizona State Veteran Home, the future monument is intended not only as a memorial but also as a place where veterans, families, students and visitors can learn about the Cold War, the submarine force and the people who helped maintain national security during decades of global tension.
Decades of Persistence
The groundbreaking was the result of decades of advocacy. Former Mayor Terry Goddard helped launch the original USS Phoenix Commission in 1989 to support the submarine and its crew while the boat was still in service. Over the years, volunteers, veterans and civic leaders worked to secure the submarine components, identify a permanent site and raise support for a monument that would connect Phoenix residents with the city’s namesake vessel.
Retired Navy Capt. Pete Lumianski, one of the project’s longtime champions, has described the monument’s mission in simple terms: learn, honor and remember. That theme shaped the ceremony, which recognized not only the sailors who served beneath the waves but also the civilians and industrial workforce who helped design, build, maintain and support the nation’s Cold War submarine fleet.
For submarine veterans, the project also offers overdue recognition. The nature of undersea service meant that many missions were conducted quietly, far from public attention. The USS Phoenix monument will bring that legacy into a public civic space, giving future visitors a way to understand how deterrence depended on people who often served without ceremony or acknowledgement.
An Educational Memorial for Future Generations
Plans for the monument call for more than a static display. Organizers envision an educational setting that uses the salvaged submarine parts, interpretive features and the footprint of the vessel to help visitors grasp the scale of the submarine and the complexity of Cold War service. The site is expected to serve as a gathering place for remembrance, public education and military-related ceremonies.
As shovels turned the first ceremonial dirt at Steele Indian School Park, the moment represented more than the start of construction. It marked the return of the USS Phoenix to the city whose name it carried and the beginning of a new chapter in preserving Cold War history in Arizona.
When completed, the USS Phoenix Cold War Monument will stand as a tribute to service performed in silence, a reminder of the tensions and lessons of the Cold War, and a permanent place for Phoenix to learn, honor and remember.